　　The Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, today (November 13) officiated at the opening ceremony for the Tuen Mun Community Green Station (CGS), marking the launch of full services by the Tuen Mun CGS to encourage members of the public to practise waste reduction and clean recycling, and to foster a green community.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr Wong said that waste reduction is a global trend and Hong Kong, as an international city, should step up its efforts in this regard. For this purpose, the Government is adopting a multi-pronged approach, including introducing municipal solid waste (MSW) charging, with a view to promoting waste reduction at source and clean recycling, and reducing the overall waste disposal level. To tie in with the implementation of MSW charging, the Government attaches great importance to strengthening public education and recycling support for waste reduction and recycling, including the establishment of a network of CGS across the territory to strengthen the support for waste reduction and recycling and environmental education at the community level.
Following an open tender by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD), Yan Oi Tong (YOT) was awarded a three-year service contract to operate the Tuen Mun CGS in June this year. Mr Wong noted that YOT is based in Tuen Mun and has long-term community service experience in the district. He said he was confident that YOT has the ability and experience to develop an extensive service network and provide recycling support and environmental education programmes to promote the message of "use less, waste less" at the community level, which will help facilitate the implementation of MSW charging in due course.
　　Located at 9 Tuen Yi Street in Tuen Mun, the Tuen Mun CGS is open to the public from 8am to 8pm daily, except for specified closed days. Prior to the official opening, the Tuen Mun CGS had already been actively providing a recyclables collection service for housing estates and organisations in the district that were participating in its recycling programmes, as well as holding environmental education programmes at various locations in the district to promote the messages of waste reduction at source and waste recycling. Following the official opening, the CGS will regularly collect recyclables from the community, including electrical appliances, glass containers, compact fluorescent lamps and tubes, rechargeable batteries, waste paper, waste metal and waste plastics. In addition, it will organise large-scale green events from time to time, such as swap events for the exchange of reusable resources such as used clothing, books and other reusable items to encourage waste reduction at source.
The Tuen Mun CGS is the sixth CGS project commissioned. The other CGSs already in operation include the Sha Tin CGS, the Eastern CGS, the Kwun Tong CGS, the Yuen Long CGS and the Sham Shui Po CGS. All these projects are operating smoothly and have been well received by the local community. They are making good progress in providing support for waste reduction and recycling in the communities, and cumulatively the CGSs have collected over 3 000 tonnes of recyclables for delivery to suitable outlets for treatment. In addition, the operators of individual CGSs also organise various public educational events to promote the message of "use less, waste less" and to instill a green living culture in the community.
In addition, the EPD earlier awarded the service contract for the Kwai Tsing CGS, which commenced operation on November 1 this year. An open tendering exercise for two service contracts for the Tai Po CGS and Islands CGS is in progress and the contracts are expected to be awarded in the first half of 2019. Information on the latest progress of the CGS projects is available on the EPD website at www.wastereduction.gov.hk/en/community/cgs_intro.htm. Members of the public can also learn more about CGS events organised through the dedicated Facebook pages of the individual CGSs.
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